Birds to Bourbon Street — 6 takeaways from Commanders-Eagles NFC Championship Game a day later

Want to talk about domination?

I will be the first to say, this Commanders team scared me. I was riding the Washington bandwagon. They won seven straight games, Jayden Daniels was playing at an elite level, and it seemed like they would never lose again.

But, when the Commanders walked into Lincoln Financial Field, packed with 69,879 people, they stood no chance.

The Eagles absolutely demolished Washington, 55-23 — the most points ever in a conference championship game and the second-most points the Eagles have ever scored in a playoff game— to advance to their second Super Bowl in three years, and their third in eight years.

The Eagles’ offense is smoking hot, the defense is destructive, and they are playing at the highest level they have all year.

Watch out, Bourbon Street, watch out Chiefs, here come the Eagles.

Now, we debate whether New Orleans is pronounced OrlEEns or OrlIns.

Here are my six takeaways a day after the win:

From start to finish

The Commanders scored 109 first-quarter points this season, which was good for second in the league. Meanwhile, the Eagles scored just 62, which is tied for 21st. But in the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles won the quarter, 14-3.

Washington started with the ball, and Daniels marched down the field with an 18-play, seven-minute drive while converting two fourth-downs. However, they settle for three. It was an unsettling start for the Eagles.

The Eagles followed with just one play. A nice return by Will Shipley set the scene for Saquon Barkley, who broke a 60-yard touchdown off a pitch-back. The Commanders had eight defenders in the box on that opening play, and it just did not matter.

START US OFF, SAQUON 🤯#EAGLES pic.twitter.com/2bmaCpdG96

— Philly Sports Reports (@PhlySprtsReprts) January 26, 2025

It took Washington seven minutes to get three. It took the Eagles 18 seconds to get seven. That was the beginning of the end. Zack Baun forced a fumble on the next drive, and Barkley ran in for his second touchdown in the quarter.

Flashing forward to the fourth quarter, the Eagles outscored the Commanders 21-0. If you remember, back in Week 16 in Washington, Philadelphia outscored 22-6 in the fourth quarter. 

From start to finish, the Eagles dominated.

Isn’t he hurt?

Pause for a moment. I thought Jalen Hurts‘ had a big knee injury where he would wear a brace and be limited. Guess not.

Hurts was absolutely magnificent on Sunday. He threw the football the best he has all year, moved around extremely well, drove the ball down the field, and once again did not turn the ball over.

After all of the backlash Hurts received last week and this season, he went out and completed 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards and a 110.1 passer rating with one touchdown pass, three rushing TDs, and no turnovers. He has now thrown 206 consecutive postseason passes without an interception.

What happened to tackling Hurts like an RB? #Eagles pic.twitter.com/m6px2oBvbC

— Philly Sports Reports (@PhlySprtsReprts) January 26, 2025

Hurts has been efficient this playoffs, but he was aggressively efficient. He was not scared to throw this to his receivers, who were not particularly open, but have his target make the adjustment to get the ball. That is an elite trait that Hurts is gaining back. I thought it was particularly apparent on this A.J. Brown TD:

Always. Open.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/GRdGr8DHea

— Philly Sports Reports (@PhlySprtsReprts) January 26, 2025

In Hurts’ age 26 season, he has not been relied on as much as the Eagles have been winning off of Barkley and this defense. It has been a while since this team won because of Hurts’s play. He was outstanding on Sunday and showed that he is still an elite quarterback in the biggest game of the year.

Hurts is going to his second Super Bowl. He is the first quarterback to return to the NFL’s biggest stage after losing his first appearance since Jim Kelly did it for the Bills in the 1990s. Hurts is also the first Eagles QB to appear in multiple Super Bowls.

Sounds like an elite QB to me.

Saquon Barkley is special

There is no other way to say it. Barkley is simply the greatest acquisition in the Eagles’ history. He may be on his way to the best free agent signing in Philadelphia sports history.

His 60-yard TD to start the game was his seventh 60+ yard TD this season. That is more than twice as many as anybody else has ever had in a season. Are you kidding me?

The Eagles did not depend on Barkley as much in this NFC Championship Game, as he only had 15 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Light work for the kid. He now has 442 rushing yards, a 6.7-yard average, and five touchdowns in the postseason.

HAT TRICK 🧢#EAGLES pic.twitter.com/QzJcSHfo44

— Philly Sports Reports (@PhlySprtsReprts) January 26, 2025

Barkley is up to 2,447 this regular and postseason, along with 18 touchdowns. The most rushing yards in a combined regular season and postseason is 2,476 yards when Terrell Davis did it in 1998. Feels like a safe bet Barkley will break that record, which is the real winner’s record.

Barkley is not just having perhaps the best running back season ever, he is a leader, an ultimate team guy, and a flat-out winner. The shot of Barkely freaking out as Shipley raced down to the one-yard line at the end of the game was the ultimate showing of who Barkley is.

Thank you New York Giants.

Warriors

Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens are two absolute troopers. Incredible.

Jurgens, who came into the game active but not starting with back issues, was being replaced by Dickerson at center. When Dickerson was fighting through a knee injury in the first half where the guy could barely walk, Jurgens filled in for him in the second half.

Neither of them was anywhere close to 100%, and both probably should not have been out there anyway. But, they fought for each other and put it all on the line for their team in the NFC Championship Game and both were exceptional.

It really just shows what football and love is all about. Football is the ultimate team sport, and the Eagles are so tightly knit together and are willing to do anything for each other and for this team.

And a hat tip to Tyler Steen, who replaced Dickerson at left-guard since he was at center, and was very good. There was some miscommunication, as is usual when you do not have your starting offensive line out there, but Jeff Stoutland, of course, had every man in his unit ready to go.

Takeaways, takeaways, and takeaways

The Eagles forced four turnovers on Sunday, making it 10 takeaways this postseason. Even better, all four led to touchdowns.

They are ridiculous.

Baun, Oren Burks, and Shipley forced fumbles, and Quinyon Mitchell made his second game-sealing interception of the postseason.

What may be just as impressive is with all these takeaways, they are not turning the ball over. They have zero turnovers these playoffs. Going back to the end of the regular season, the Eagles have 15 takeaways and no turnovers in their last five games.

This just shows you the importance of protecting the football and winning the turnover battle, particularly in the playoffs. And the Eagles are the best at it. Could end up being one of, if not the reason this team is having a parade in two weeks.

A 180 degree switch

I went back and looked at my takeaways from the Eagles’ Week 6 win in October over the Browns when Nick Sirianni “made himself the story.”

I think about it now, and the Eagles are not where they are without Sirianni, who is the first Eagles coach to lead his team to multiple Super Bowls.

The job Sirianni has done this year to reconstruct the team’s belief and faith after last year’s collapse has been remarkable. Remember where we were last season? They lost six of seven, all of them in nightmarish fashion, following a 10-1 start, and we wanted Sirianni gone. Now, just a year later, Sirianni’s Eagles are back in the Super Bowl.

Sirianni may not call plays or anything like that, but his leadership is way more meaningful. He has created a new blueprint for this franchise. Once upon a time, the Eagles strived to be in the Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb years. Now, Sirianni and Hurts are the gold standard for Eagles football.

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